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Friday, June 26, 2009

The Draft: '09 Version

So the NBA draft has come and gone and now we must wait all offseason long to see how the results will play out. Blake Griffin went number 1 which was nothing unexpected. He was by far the best player in the draft and still has tons of potential. The Timberwolves had quite a few picks and spent their first 3 on point guards. However, they have already sent Ty Lawson to the Nuggets and now there is talk that they might send Rubio to the Knicks, because it is unsure as to whether or not Rubio will play in the NBA this season or go back to Spain. Tyler Hansbrough went 13th to the Pacers, many think that it is a little high. I think that as good as he is, he is still underappreciated and will have a great NBA career.

Some of the trades that took place before the trade took some of the hype off of the draft itself. What I think to be the biggest trade was Shaq to Cleveland. Cleveland didnt really lose anyone big as Wallace is getting older and was plagued by injuries and they will do fine without Sasha. Adding Shaq to that line-up means bad news for the east and the rest of the league. They were the best team last year and adding Shaq will only help. Another big trade was Vince Carter to Orlando. I think that the Nets got the better end of the deal on this one and especially now that Hedo is opting out. The magic gave up their promising rookie for Vince who is getting older, but still should have a few good years left in him.

Also a big trade that means bad news for the west is Richard Jefferson to the Spurs. I think that the Spurs got the better end of the deal even though they lost 3 players. They shipped off some of their veterans that are running out of gas and in turn they get Jefferson who is a great one on one player and can finish at the rim. The Lakers did away with their only draft pick and that only indicates that they are wanting to keep intact the same team that just won the Championship.

It is going to be very interesting to see how the rest of the offseason turns out, especially with teams like the Jazz, Rockets and Suns that are awaiting answers as to who is going to optout or who are wanting to trade some high profile players.